Power or manually operable gate

ABSTRACT

A rectangular gate is mounted to pivot, in a vertical plane, about an axis at a lower corner of the gate, a first spring urges the gate toward open position and a second spring acts, as the gate approaches open position, to resist the action of the first spring. The pivot for the gate is a horizontal, selectively power driven, shaft and the gate is mounted on the shaft by a splitband adjustable friction clutch so that the gate may be opened or closed manually or by power means, selectively.

United States Patent [191 Ries [451 Oct. 8, 1974 1541 POWER OR MANUALLY OPERABLE GATE [76] lnventor: Robert J. Ries, Box 58, Marquette,

Iowa 52158 i 22 Filed: May15,l973

21 Appl. No.: 360,432

Newbold 49/266 Schlocr 49/386 X Primary ExamineF-Kenneth Downey Attorney, Agent, or FirmBacon & Thomas [5 7] ABSTRACT A rectangular gate is mounted to pivot, in a vertical plane, about an axis at a lower comer of the gate, a first spring urges the gate toward open position and a second spring acts, as the gate approaches open position, to resist the action of the first spring. The pivot for the gate is a horizontal, selectively power driven, shaft and the gate is mountedon the shaft by a splitband adjustable friction clutch so that the gate may be opened or closed manuallyor by power means, selectively.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEU BET 1 74 SEE! 1 0F 2 POWER OR MANUALLY OPERABLE GATE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is in the field of power operated gates and particularly such gates that may be selectively manually opened or closed manually without the application of other power.

Power operated garage doors are quite common and are usually under the control of a radio transmitter and receiver combination whereby the user may cause the garage door to open or close from a remote position. However, such devices involve overhead guiding and- /or suspension means and are normally incapable of being manually operated without disconnecting the motor drive. Insofar as applicant knows, no adaptation of radio controlled or power operated gates have been achieved. It is common to provide crossing gates or the like, for example, at railroad crossings, that are power operated in response to a signal indicating that a train is approaching. However, it is not believed that any such have been capable of selective operation by the power means or by manual means, selectively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention may best be summarized by the following objects.

First, to provide a gate that may be selectively power operated or manually operated.

Secondly, to provide a power operated gate free of any overhead guiding or suspending structures.

Third, to provide a power operated gate movable in a vertical plane from open to closed position and vice versa without swinging over any laterally positioned areas.

Fourth, to provide a gate of the type referred to having adjustment means for regulating the forces necessary to open the same manually and for substantially balancing the gate in all of its positions.

Fifth, to provide a gate of the type referred to that is relatively simple to construct and economical to manufacture and operate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS on the line 44 of FIG. 3, showing the gate in its closed position in full lines and its open position in phantom lines; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, illustrating the left hand gate post and the free end of the gate in closed position.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 1 is a plan view the concrete blocks 10 by means of bolts 12 or the like. The gate generally designated 14, is illustrated as a substantially rectangular framework of channel and angle members but it is to be understood that any suitable gate construction may be employed. The gate is mounted adjacent gate post 4 for swinging movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis 16 at the lower right hand corner of the gate frame as seen in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2 the gate is shown in its closed position wherein its free or left hand end extends behind gate post 2 and its bottom edge rests on a suitable lower cradle plate 18 (FIG. 5), while the upper end of its outer edge nests in a notch 20 in an upper cradle plate 22. The provision of plates 18 and 22 is, of course, optional, but are suggested herein to hold the gate firmly in position when closed. The plates 18 and 22 may be secured to base plate 6 and gate post 2, respectively, in any suitable manner, such as by welding, bolts or the like (not shown).

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the axis 16 referred to is defined by the center of a shaft 24 journalled in side plates 25 and 26 welded or otherwise secured to base plate 8 The shaft 24 constitutes the output shaft of a motor and reduction gear combination shown schematically at 26 in FIG. 3. Preferably, the motor and gear combination 26 is housed in a suitable enclosure 28 to protect the same from weather or other external damage. I

As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, the lower right hand corner portion of the gate 14 has secured thereto a resilient band 30 of suitable metal which terminates in end ears 32 and which circumscribes the shaft 24. A bolt 34 extends through one of the ears and is threaded into the other and bears against a'compression spring 36. It will be obvious that the bolt 34 may be threaded inwardly or outwardly to regulate the force exerted by spring 36 and thereby the tension applied to band 30 on shaft 24. Preferably, a band 30 is provided on each side of the gate frame 14, the two bands being identical and engaging the shaft 24 at axially spaced positions. Thus, the bands 30 constitute means for journalling the gate 14 on shaft 24 and further constitute friction clutch means whereby the gate may be pivoted about shaft 24, with frictional resistance and without rotating the shaft 24 as a result.

Fixedly secured to the base plate 8 is an anchor plate 38 having openings therein in which the lower ends of a pair of tension springs 40 are anchored. The tension springs extend upwardly toward the adjacent end of the gate 14 and aresecured thereto by a clevis arrangement 42. As shown, the vertical end frame member of the gate 14 is in the form of an outwardly facing channel member 44, the side flanges of which have a plurality of vertically spaced aligned openings 46 therein. The clevis device 42 comprises a cross-plate 48 having openings therethrough and in which the upper ends of the springs 40 are anchored. Side plates 50 are welded to the plate 48 to extend along the outer surfaces of the side flanges of channel 41 and are provided each with an opening at its outer end which openings are alignable with a selected pair of the openings 46. A bolt 52 extends through the aligned openings of plates 50 and the flanges of channel 44 to thus anchor the upper ends of the tension springs 40 to the end member of the gate frame. It will be obvious that the clevis device 42 may be selectively engaged with any of the openings 46 to thus adjust the tension of springs 40 and thereby the force with which they urge the gate toward open position.

The springs 40 are adjusted to exert such force on the gate that the opening moment applied to the gate thereby about axis 16 is insufficient to overcome the friction of the bands 30 and weight of the gate but is of such value that a person may manually lift the gate 14 and, with the assistance of springs 40, move the gate upwardly toward open position.

It will be apparent that the springs 40 constantly apply an opening force on the gate 14 and that after the gate 14 has lifted to such position that its center of gravity is generally over the axis 16, the weight of the gate no longer resists the spring force but is added therto. Under such conditions, the gate would slam to open position with undue force and it would be difficult for a person to manually control the same or to close the gate under those conditions. To overcome the aforementioned disadvantage, the apparatus is provided with a counteracting spring 54. A fixed shaft 56 extends between plates 26 and 28 and is anchored thereto against rotation. A pair of torsion springs 58 surround the shaft 56 and have their outermost ends anchored thereto by suitable bolts 60 (see FIG. 4). The innermost ends of the torsion springs 58 extend freely upwardly in a substantially vertical direction in close proximity to each other and thus the torsion springs will function as a single torsion spring device. The upwardly extending legs 62 of the torsion springs 58 are normally spaced from the adjacent upright channel 44 of the gate 14 when the gate is in closed position, as shown in full lines in FIG. 4. However, when the gate is swung toward open position, the web of channel member 44 engages the upper end of torsion spring legs 62 and further opening movement of the gate serves to store energy in the springs 58. From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the torsion springs 58 will be partially loaded before the center of gravity of the gate reaches a position over pivot axis 16 and thus function to resist the action of tension springs 40 at a time when that would normally accelerate the gate toward an open position. As noted, the upright 44 of the gate frame will engage the free end of spring arm 62 very shortly after the gate starts to open and thus considerable loading of the spring is achieved before the center of gravity reaches the upper position referred to. The parts are so proportioned and adjusted that a substantial force is exerted by the torsion spring legs 62 on the gate 14 after the center of gravity thereof has passed over the axis 16 and thus the springs 58 resist the urging of springs 40 to such an extent that the gate will not slam to its open position in an uncontrolled manner. When the gate is in its fully open position, the torsion springs 58 are tensioned whereas the springs 40 exert minimum force and the gate can then be easily manually swung toward closed position and as the center of gravity passes over axis 16 again, the springs 40 take over control for counterbalancing the gate and shortly thereafter the legs 62 are disengaged from channel 44 and the gate may be lowered gently and easily to its closed position. As shown, a protective yoke 64 of generally U-shape has its legs welded to the side flanges of channel member 44 and serves as a guard for the free end of legs 62 when the gate is in closed position.

As stated previously, the gate may be selectively op- 65 erated by the power means 26 through the medium of shaft 24 and friction clutch bands 30. It is contemplated that a suitable radio receiver 66 be provided. preferably housed within hollow gate closure 4 to receive a signal from a transmitter and to thereby actuate a reversing relay or relays in enclosure 68, also housed in hollow gate post 4, to energize the motor device 26 to operate in the proper direction to move the gate to open or closed position. Thus, if the gate is open, the next signal received by receiver 66 will cause the motor to rotate in a direction to close the gate. Suitable cams and microswitches, not shown, responsive to the position of the gate, are contemplated whereby movement of the gate to open or closed position will actuate the switches to condition the circuits for the next power cycle and to control or shut off the motor device 26, all as is conventional in related devices, such as power operated garage doors or the like.

While a single specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, the same is merely illustrative of the principles involved and other embodiments may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A generally rectangular substantially rigid gate frame lying in a generally vertical plane;

pivot means supporting said gate frame for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal fixed axis perpendicular to the plane of said frame and at a lower corner at one end thereof, said gate frame being movable about said pivot means between a closed position where its center of gravity is on one side of said axis and an open position where its center of gravity is on the other side of said axis;

tension spring means urging said gate from said closed position toward said open position; and

torsion spring means mounted adjacent said axis and having an arm extending into the path of movement of a portion of said gate frame and spaced therefrom when said gate is closed but engageable by said gate substantially before said center of gravity reaches a position over said axis and arranged to resist the urging of said tension spring as the center of gravity of said gate approaches and passes a position above said axis.

2. A gate as defined in claim 1 including adjusting means for selectively adjusting the tension of said tension spring.

3. A gate as defined in claim 2 wherein said tension spring is anchored at one end, outwardly of said one end of said frame and extends upwardly therefrom to' ward said frame, said adjusting means comprising means for connecting the upper end of said tension spring to said frame at a selected one of a plurality of positions.

4. A gate as defined in claim 1 wherein said torsion spring means includes an anchored torsion spring coil having an upwardly extending arm spaced outwardly of said one end of said frame when said gate is in closed position but being engageable by said frame, as it swings toward open position, to energize said torsion spring coil.

5. A gate as defined in claim 1 wherein said pivot means comprises a horizontal shaft at said axis and friction clutch means journalling said gate frame on said shaft;

selectively operable power driven means for rotating said shaft whereby said gate may be pivoted between open and closed positions either by said frame and extending around said shaft in frictional engagement therewith, spring means for tensioning said band, and means for selectively adjusting the force of said last-named spring means. 

1. A generally rectangular substantially rigid gate frame lying in a generally vertical plane; pivot means supporting said gate frame for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal fixed axis perpendicular to the plane of said frame and at a lower corner at one end thereof, said gate frame being movable about said pivot means between a closed position where its center of gravity is on one side of said axis and an open position where its center of gravity is on the other side of said axis; tension spring means urging said gate from said closed position toward said open position; and torsion spring means mounted adjacent said axis and having an arm extending into the path of movement of a portion of said gate frame and spaced therefrom when said gate is closed but engageable by said gate substantially before said center of gravity reaches a position over said axis and arranged to resist the urging of said tension spring as the center of gravity of said gate approaches and passes a position above said axis.
 2. A gate as defined in claim 1 including adjusting means for selectively adjusting the tension of said tension spring.
 3. A gate as defined in claim 2 wherein said tension spring is anchored at one end, outwardly of said one end of said frame and extends upwardly therefrom toward said frame, said adjusting means comprising means for connecting the upper end of said tension spring to said frame at a selected one of a plurality of positions.
 4. A gate as defined in claim 1 wherein said torsion spring means includes an anchored torsion spring coil having an upwardly extending arm spaced outwardly of said one end of said frame when said gate is in closed position but being engageable by said frame, as it swings toward open position, to energize said torsion spring coil.
 5. A gate as defined in claim 1 wherein said pivot means comprises a horizontal shaft at said axis and friction clutch means journalling said gate frame on said shaft; selectively operable power driven means for rotating said shaft whereby said gate may be pivoted between open and closed positions either by said power driven means through said friction clutch or manually by causing said friction clutch to slip on said shaft.
 6. A gate as defined in claim 5 wherein said friction clutch means comprises a resilient band secured to said frame and extending around said shaft in frictional engagement therewith, spring means for tensioning said band, and means for selectively adjusting the force of said last-named spring means. 